Naruto: If I ask you to kill Sasuke, you will become a succubus?

I didn't ask Shino's opinion because I knew he wouldn't stop me.

I walked up to him and smiled at him, "Thank you for saving me."

Shino nodded to me modestly but said nothing.

I said goodbye to him: "Well, I'm leaving now."

He opened his arms slightly, and I hugged him skillfully, feeling Shino gently wrapping his arms around my body.

Our hugs were always short because Shino was not used to long physical contact.

I had tried to hold him tightly before, and no matter how Shino struggled, I refused to let go. As a result, I saw him so panicked for the first time.

That made me feel like I had ignored his wishes and done something very excessive, and I thought he would be very angry.

But as soon as I apologized to him, he forgave me.

"It's not Chaolu's fault. It's me...I feel horrible."

"Scary?" I felt a little shocked. "Hugging me is scary? Why?"

"I feel like I'm about to lose control. If I hug Chaolu for too long, I'm worried that something bad will happen..."

Bad things?

I asked curiously, “For example?”

"Maybe all the bugs in my body will burst out uncontrollably... That's absolutely not okay."

He patted my back, which indicated that he thought the hug was over.

I let him go and turned to walk towards Gaara, but on the way, I couldn't help but look back at everyone.

…It would be nice if Gaara could join us.

This way, we can all be together.

But I also know that becoming friends is something that cannot be forced.

Maybe I can be friends with different people, but that doesn’t mean they are suitable to be friends with each other.

I walked over to Gaara and I could feel the aura around him soften because of my presence, he was obviously very happy.

We turned around and hadn't walked far when we heard the sound of teeth coming from behind us.

"Hey," he said, sounding confused, "Shino, is this really okay? Letting her leave like this?"

"Ah."

"Sometimes I really don't understand your relationship...Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"..."

"If it were me, I would never let my girlfriend leave with another man."

Shino's voice was calm: "Different insects have different natures. Can humans prohibit bees from collecting honey and spiders from weaving webs?"

Ya: "... After all, Chaolu is still a person, right...?"

I couldn't help but laugh and said to Gaara, "Shino is very interesting, isn't he?"

If he could also find Shino interesting, maybe Gaara and Shino would both have one more friend.

Gaara responded with something incomprehensible: "The negative point system."

"what?"

"He should do well in the first exam, given the negative mark system."

"Shino? Why do you say that?"

"nothing."

"Just say what you want to say, Gaara." I said unhappily, "Wouldn't it be terrible if we couldn't fully understand each other when we were alone together?"

After hearing what I said, Gaara was a little hesitant.

I could sense that he really wanted to talk to me, but he didn't know what to say or what tone to use so that I wouldn't feel forced or bored.

It had been a long time since there had been anyone around him who could talk to him naturally and peacefully.

Conversation is also a skill. Although everyone has different talents, it all requires practice.

Gaara hesitated for a moment, "What I mean is... Aburame Shino is like a test-taker who starts with 10 points. The points he can get are few, but the opportunities to break the rules are many more. When others slowly accumulate points and come to you, won't it be easy for him to lose all the points and be eliminated?"

"Do you think Shino would be worried about that?"

"Won't he be worried?"

"Shino and I don't have such a cruel relationship. He treats me as a butterfly. Would you be sad because the butterfly you have been observing found another butterfly and flew away from you?"

"..."

"Shino always watches me carefully and records everything about me until he knows me better than I do." I smiled and said, "He never constrains me with the common sense of 'other people are like this, so you are wrong'. He makes me feel that I am different from ordinary people in many ways, but that is not because there is anything wrong with me, but because... 'I am Chaolu'. Do you understand what I mean?"

"No matter what you do, Aburame Shino accepts it all. Do you think this is tolerance and understanding?"

I was stunned for a moment: "Isn't it?"

"Humans can do their best not to interfere with the nature of insects and just observe quietly. But if both are human beings and one accepts everything from the other without any bottom line or principle... that is just indulgence."

"...When you describe it like that, it suddenly seems like it's really bad."

"No... there are many kinds of indulgence," Gaara whispered, thinking of himself, "There is the indulgence due to disgust, not wanting to get close, and not wanting to pay attention, and there is also the indulgence and pampering due to distorted love..."

After he said this, we all fell silent.

After a long while, I said, "Gaara..."

"what?"

"Have you ever considered becoming the Kazekage?"

"I hate the Kazekage."

Considering that Gaara said before that he hated to protect people he hated, I found this answer not surprising at all.

But I didn’t understand before how Sasuke and Naruto became good friends in the end, but they have been together along the way, and their relationship is indeed getting better and better, so maybe there is no need for me to worry here, Gaara will naturally encounter things in the future that will make him change his mind.

"After the Chunin Exams, Gaara will return to the Sand Village, right? Putting aside other things... I think Kankuro-kun and Temari-san are concerned about you."

Gaara glanced at me and said, "Have you ever thought about yourself more than me?"

This time it was my turn to say "What?"

"Did you...think about the future during this Chunin Exam? What are you going to do in the future?"

“…In the future…”

"Would you like to come to the Sand Village? No matter what happens, I will protect you."

"Eh? Can a ninja village be changed?"

"No, but there is one exception."

"what?"

"Marry me." Gaara said, "If you marry me, you can go to the Sand Village with me."

"You should marry someone you love, right?"

"I don't have anyone I like, and I never will."

"No one can predict what will happen in the future."

By the way, before Gaara died...did he have a lover?

There is no mention of this in Kankuro-sama’s memory. Is it because he didn’t mention it, or he doesn’t know, or maybe Gaara has always been single…?

...At such a young age, he died heroically in battle without even having tried love...

I quickly changed the topic and comforted him, "It's okay... although being in love is a very special experience, it's not necessary. It doesn't matter if you don't have it!"

"I can't imagine falling in love with anyone." Gaara was very calm, "I just want to be with you right now. You are very special to me, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Thank you." I thanked him, "But if something happens to me... even if I am willing to go with you, it might only bring trouble to you. Besides... don't be angry, I don't think the environment in Sand Village is necessarily better than Konoha."

Gaara thought about it for a moment and said, "You're right."

He said, "There are a lot of troublesome guys in the village. If you don't get rid of them, there will definitely be people who will want to attack you."

"It's getting in the way... and it's something I can't solve..."

Is this what the Future Kazekage should say?

"You're right..." Gaara repeated, thoughtfully, "I should become the Kazekage and get rid of them all. As long as no one can stop me from doing what I want, I can protect you."